The First Encounter
by Kirara-Elfkin
Summary: vampire AU "For a moment, the bite was strangely painless, but then the pain came roaring up his nerves, incredibly acute. He would have screamed, but all that issued from his mouth was a choked whimper..." Edit: This needs a little work I think...


AN: Okay, I know I said that I'd be posting the next chapter of Unexpected Event weeks ago, so I beg your forgiveness for that, but many real world things have been fighting for my attention since then, most prominently my HND college course, which started last week. I do have that chapter (mostly) ready for posting, but to make up for the lack of fic for the past few weeks, here is a piece I wrote for a game fandom fic community on Dreamwidth. It's a Rush/David vampire AU, and it's the first vamp fic I've ever written, so be kind, please.

The First Encounter

Gyrating on the dance floor, the young woman was nothing special, a typical twenty year old out for a night on the town. Dyed blonde hair with hot pink highlights, cut in one of the latest messy styles and cemented in place with hair spray, looked nearly indistinguishable from the many other girls sporting similar styles and colours.

She wore a plunging v-neck top and denim shorts so small that they revealed more than they hid as they clung to her slim hips, and she swayed unsteadily to the music on high heeled shoes that hurt her feet. They were the height of fashion right now though, so she wore them despite the inevitable blisters.

Her face was flushed with adrenaline and alcohol, thick mascara starting to run in the oppressive heat generated by tightly packed bodies, but she didn't notice. Lost in a haze of intoxication, the pulsating beat of music and flashing strobe lights blinded her to the fact that she was being watched by hungry eyes that reflected the light oddly.

On the edge of the dance floor, the owner of those eyes watched her grinding against one of the carbon copy teens that littered the club. The tip of a pink tongue appeared, briefly licking pale lips before her watcher moved swiftly through the crowd, stopping at her side and pulling her away from her current dance partner, flashing a loaded smile that she was in no state to resist

Leading her from the dance floor, her watcher found a secluded corner near a fire exit and went to speak, but she stopped him with a shake of her head, pressing against him in obvious invitation, giggling when the floor seemed to sway from the motion.

One brow rose in momentary surprise, but he went with the silent command and started kissing her, light, tempting butterfly kisses and soft nuzzles. Slipping down, his hands began running over the soft swell of her hips, brushing the sensitive skin where it dipped to form her waist, bestowing teasing touches that had her melting in his arms, pliant and willing for more.

The girl was lost in the intoxicating sensations. The heat of the club, the pounding beats of the music and the fog of alcohol fumes and pheromones released by the dancers induced a euphoric high that made nothing else matter except his touch and the way it electrified her.

It was a delightfully alien sensation, so different from her previous experience with any male, for he wasn't groping her like most other men did. Instead, he held her like she was something precious and his touch had none of the heavy handedness or rushed gratification she'd felt in the past.

His touch actually felt more like worship than seduction, all wonderfully soft caresses, his hands tracing her every curve like an artist admiring a master sculpture, making her hyperaware of her body in a way that didn't make her feel cheap or dirty.

Barely noticing the three teenage boys who were unabashedly staring at them, she missed the frigid glare her would-be lover shot at them, nor the way they shivered and retreated back in the direction of the bar.

Vaguely aware that he was leading her out through a fire door into a cold alley behind the club, she looked up when the chill air enveloped her and hazily studied his face. He really was gorgeous, with pale, unblemished skin, high cheekbones and a pointed chin, fashionably messy dark hair falling into stunning grey eyes that seemed to glitter in the dim light.

He was only a few inches taller than her, body slim but lean, muscles flowing beneath soft velvety skin reminiscent of a hunting cat, all smooth lines and grace. Though he could have been in his late teens, something said he was older, perhaps in the way he held himself, the sort of quiet confidence that only comes with age and experience.

He wore jeans that, rather than sagging to his knees like most young men, hugged his hips and legs in a way that oozed sex appeal, the form fitting denim hinting at the deliciously toned body beneath. Half tucked into the jeans was a wine coloured silk shirt, the top few buttons undone to reveal the slight dip of a collarbone, and over this was a thigh-length black leather jacket, soft and supple under her fingers, rather than stiff, attesting to it's quality.

In the shadow of the crates and boxes that lined the alley, the touches grew more heated and adventurous, the kisses firmer as her own hands sought to return the favour.

Losing herself in the sensations of his mouth, she felt his cool hands glide along the bare skin of her midriff, the left dipping down to caress the back of her upper leg, following the crease of her shorts and lingering on the sensitive skin of her inner thigh, where her pulse could be felt through the skin.

Meanwhile the right hand rose to cup her cheek, his thumb drawing small circles that made her lean into the gentle contact, relishing this feeling of caring intimacy.

So focused was she on his oddly cool body, she barely registered that she was pressed up against the brick wall, practically melting under his touch, her face turned into his hand, nuzzling the chilled palm and consequently baring the rosy column of her throat. Flushed with warmth and arousal, she felt his mouth follow her jaw line down to her neck, nipping teasingly at her throat while he kissed every inch of the bared flesh.

Nearly boneless with pleasure, she never noticed that his mouth had stilled over her flickering pulse, all attention on the hand that was tracing complex patterns on her inner thigh, heat throbbing through her body as surges of electricity danced up her spine.

Feeling the smooth swipe of a tongue over her skin had her hissing, back arching, pressing her hips into his body while she slid her own hands around his shoulders, fingers twining in his hair, silently begging for more.

However, if she had seen his eyes at that moment she wouldn't have been moaning with pleasure, she'd have been whimpering with fright. Gleaming tawny gold in the dark, they held no sign of sexual pleasure, only pity at her willingness and gullibility, predatory hunger and anticipation of the coming feed.

Clenching her hands in his leather jacket, she tilted her head farther to the side as the soft lave of tongue on skin continued, interspaced by puffs of cool air that had her shivering in delight. Feeling more than hearing the quiet laugh that rumbled through his chest, she clung to him, one hand slipping under the edge of his shirt to tease his side, nails lightly scratching over the slight contours of muscle on his stomach, getting a faint pleased sound from the male.

Pleased by how willing (and clueless) the young female was, the predatory creature felt his teeth sharpening, upper canines and premolars lengthening into razor sharp double fangs. Smirking, he blew over her skin once more, just to check his attentions on that spot had worked and she felt nothing, before easing his teeth into her throat, dagger-like points slicing easily through soft flesh, ruby blood welling up from the wounds and filling his mouth. Lips sealing to her skin to catch the blood, he felt the human gasp, her body quivering against his.

Her throat now mostly numb due to his most useful of vampiric traits, she barely felt a thing, brief pressure and a prick of pain swept away on a tidal wave of pleasure that had her knees buckling and muscles clenching, ecstasy setting her nerves on fire.

Gasping as spots of colour danced across her vision, her nails scratched red furrows on his skin when the hand resting against his stomach clenched violently, not registering the heat that began to pool and spread out from under her palm as he swallowed more of her life essence.

She was oblivious to the fact that her blood was being consumed by the creature she clung to, and that the vital substance was flowing down to rest within the ageless flesh _right _under her palm, her own stolen lifeblood, still warm from her veins, hidden beneath layers of muscle and silken skin. She was being devoured from the inside out to sate the hunger of the beautiful, deceitful beast whose fangs were still buried in the supple flesh of her throat.

Growling softly, the vampire swallowed mouthfuls of the life-giving liquid, the taste caressing his tongue like the sweetest ambrosia, sliding down his throat and filling his stomach with warmth. Wrapping one arm around her waist to support her weight, he cradled her against his chest, her body limp and pliant in the wake of his bite.

Content for the moment, the vampire slowed his pace, suckling gently at the wounds, lifting the girl and moving them both to sit on one of the crates stacked in the alley, finding a nicely shadowed spot. Eyes lidded, he ignored the little sounds the girl made as she panted, lost in the throes of chemically induced passion, the venom in his bite triggering a wonderfully euphoric state.

Not expecting interruptions any time soon, the vampire was startled when the fire door burst open not a minute later, three teens tumbling out, the same three boys that he'd warned off earlier, all very drunk and not very happy, followed by a fourth, older boy who looked positively furious. Without taking any time to see if they had an audience, the older boy started in on the three teens, practically spitting fire.

"Look at the lot of you, drunker than a seasick sailor! I've been looking for you for hours! What do you think Uncle will say when he learns about this! He'll be home tomorrow and you'll still be hung-over when he does! I'll tell you what he'll say, he'll say that you've been grounded, again, and I'll be blamed for not keeping a closer eye on you! What were you thinking? I turn away for one moment and you escape out the third floor window (You could have broken your necks if you'd fallen!) and scurry off to the worst club in town and get roaring drunk!"

Plucking up their courage, one of the teens tried to interrupt.

"Aw c'mon Dave, you go out late too…"

But 'Dave' was having none of it.

"I go out for walks because I like the quiet, _not_ to get drunk, and not at four in the morning! I swear, if you say you did it because you were bored, then so help me I _will_ take you to the nearest park and drop kick you into the first water feature I find!"

Running both his hands through his golden blonde hair, tugging at the strands in frustration, the young man glared at the three teens.

"You're not even old enough to drink yet, what possessed you to go and do this now of all times, when you were almost off the hook from your last stunt?"

Amused at the tongue lashing the boy was bestowing, the vampire carefully removed his fangs from his meal's neck, reluctant but knowing he'd have stopped soon anyway. Glancing about he could see no way of getting out of the alley unseen, and he cursed mentally.

Even hidden in the shadows, they were bound to notice him eventually, and with the girl it would be very awkward. The small group was standing between him and the mouth of the alley, and unlike TV vampires, he couldn't climb up thirty feet of sheer wall to escape onto the roof, fly, or hypnotize them into forgetting him.

Licking the excess blood from her throat, he watched as the wounds began to clot quickly now that he wasn't keeping the blood flowing, and settled in to wait, absentmindedly stroking the girl's hair as if she were a pet or a stray cat. Studying the four boys, the vampire found his attention caught by the eldest.

The three getting an earful were unremarkable, no more than fourteen years old and with the typical signs of growth, lanky limbs coupled with rounded childish faces, still soft with youth. In other words, jailbait to those more questionable humans, and a sweet dessert to any hungry night hunter, after all, youth was always a more appetising meal than the aged. Though thankfully for them, this particular vampire preferred slightly more mature meals.

Turning his attention to the fourth and older human, the vampire studied him. He looked to be in his early twenties, tall (but not really much taller than the vampire's own height), with a classical male body, broad shoulders, narrow hips and long legs. His skin was an interesting golden bronze, a stark contrast to his bright sun gold hair, and his eyes were a pale blue-grey, sharp with intelligence.

His face, while vaguely feminine was still undoubtedly male, and quite handsome, despite the pent up anger and frustration; a strong, defined jawline mixing nicely with those high, aristocratic cheekbones. He had obviously gone out in a hurry, a pale grey hoodless jacket, still damp from the rain a few hours earlier, tossed on over the top of a comfortable royal blue jumper, which looked rather well worn, and a pair of slightly wrinkled beige trousers, the hems splashed with muddy water.

Idly, the vampire wondered how he'd taste, for though he usually consumed female blood (mainly because they were easier to entice and overpower), he had no real preference, males being just as palatable, though slightly spicier than their feminine counterpart. While he was wondering, the girl sprawled in his lap gave a small breathy moan, finally succumbing to the blood loss and drifting into unconsciousness.

Unfortunately, she moaned just as there was a lull in the elder boy's ranting, and all four turned to look for the source of that sound. Quickly running his tongue over his teeth to get rid of any remaining blood, the vampire felt his fangs retreat and prepared to take up the role of concerned stranger, shifting his grip on the girl so that she was now being cradled, rather than draped over his legs.

Anger giving way to uneasiness, the golden boy stepped slightly in front of the younger ones, unconsciously shielding them before calling into the dark.

"Hello? Who's there?"

Shifting slightly, the vampire raised one hand and waved slightly, drawing the boy's attention.

"Hey, over here. D'you think you could help me?"

Cautiously stepping closer, the young man relaxed imperceptibly once he could make out the two people sitting on one of the crates.

"I heard a moan, is everything alright?"

Cracking a smile, the vampire couldn't resist the answer that bubbled up.

"Well, it really depends on what kind of moan it was, but in this case, it's not the happy kind. This girl's not feeling too well, we were dancing when she started to feel sick. I took her out here for some fresh air, but I think she passed out."

Barely quirking a brow at the attempt at humour, but visibly concerned after hearing the rest, the young man came closer, squinting in the dark.

"I can't see properly, could you bring her out here? I'm a medical student at the University, so I could take a look at her."

Surprised at this little titbit, the vampire obliged, lifting her easily. With a body like that, he'd honestly expected the boy to be involved in sport, because despite being baggy, he could still see the small shifts of a highly toned physique beneath the clothes, more defined than his own.

Carrying her into the dim light cast by a lamppost at the end of the alley, he saw the boy looked around for something to put her on, rather than the ground. With nothing else available, the boy roped the three teens into fetching one of the heavy crates, ignoring their drunken protests, ordering them like a general would his troops.

Once they'd pushed it into place, the vampire brought the girl over, laying her out on the slatted wooden surface and watching as the young man stripped off his jacket to fold it under the girl's head.

The vampire raised an eyebrow at that, secretly intrigued by the fuss this young man was making over one foolish female. Yes, if he was interested in medicine then he'd be _obliged_ to care, but he looked genuinely concerned, and the vampire could tell it was real because he had met doctors who didn't care one bit about their patients, all cold indifference when they treated them. The fact that this young man was taking the time and effort to really care…

Becoming more intrigued by the minute, the vampire hovered close by the boy's shoulder while he looked at the unconscious teen, covertly tasting his scent, drawing it over his tongue between slightly parted lips and fighting back a purr as he sampled the warm, spicy-sweet scent.

The young man was a prime example of a healthy human male, with little to no trace of the various pollutants many humans filled their bodies with, and that clean spicy scent stirred his hunger _far_ more than the alcohol saturated girl had. In that single moment, the vampire decided he was going to take a second victim that night, and this time he'd really enjoy his meal...

A little edgy from the breach of personal space, the young man glanced back at the teen the girl had been with. To be honest, something about the boy put him on edge, the hairs on the back of his neck prickling with unease. It wasn't as though he looked shifty, or even particularly aggressive, but his eyes… he didn't look truly concerned about the girl, if anything he looked at her like you would a stray cat, largely uninterested but with a hint of pity.

The stranger also seemed surprised at his offer to look at her, as though he didn't expect people to care. It was the jaded reaction of one who only expects bad things from humanity,.

After several seconds of sneaking glances out of the corner of his eye, the teen gave him a small, crooked smile, eyebrows raised in question.

"See something you like? Or is there something on my face?"

Unable to fight the faint flush that stained his cheeks, the young man turned back to the girl he was meant to be examining, that little question drawing attention to the fact that he _had_ noticed the boy's undeniable good looks.

Despite not having time for any relationships with his busy university schedule and extra-curricular study, he could say with certainty that this teen was one of the most alluring males he had ever laid eyes on, but the look in his eye, as though both he and the girl were something to be studied… (steadfastly ignoring that little voice that said the stranger looked oddly hungry as well, and that it was directed at him more than the girl) that was very unsettling.

"So, do you know her name, do you have any idea how long she was dancing, or how much she was drinking?"

Trying to sound more professional, the young man asked some basic but necessary questions while checked her pulse, heart rate and breathing, not yet noticing the marks on the other side of her neck to the one he had his fingers pressed against, frowning at the faint, fluttering beat he felt.

"I only just met her less than an hour ago, so no to all three I'm afraid. Speaking of names, I've been kinda rude in not telling you mine, it's Rush, Rush Sykes… and you?"

Glancing over at his cousins to see if they would be any help, the young man sighed when he saw that they had settled in a pile against one of the other crates, already starting to doze despite the cold night, the alcohol and the late hour both to blame. His attention split between the stranger and the girl, he found himself answering, ignoring the little voice that whispered caution in giving the male any information.

"Ah, I'm David Nassau. I'd say it's a pleasure to meet you, but under the circumstances…"

Rocking back on his heels Rush nodded understandingly, hands tucked into his pockets. Turning, he glided silently over to the three teens while the young man was bent over the girl, trying unsuccessfully to rouse her.

Standing over the boys, the vampire examined their faces, lips twitching into the faintest smile when one of them shifted in his sleep, shivering unconsciously when the vampire's shadow fell across him.

"Are these your brothers? They don't carry much resemblance to you if they are."

Not having heard the vampire move, David felt a surge of protective concern when he saw the dark male leaning over the three boys, far too close for comfort. Voice hard and unease momentarily abandoned, David called out.

"No, they're my cousins, not my brothers. Please keep your distance from them, you may have asked for help, but as far as I'm concerned you're still a stranger, and I don't want you hovering over them like that."

Stepping away, Rush lifted his hands in mock surrender, moving back towards the older boy, feet totally silent on the smooth tarmac.

"Alright, I understand, I'll keep my hands to myself, I was just looking."

Bending back over the girl after a warning stare, David finally noticed the marks on her neck, four deep puncture marks set very close together that were strangely bloodless, beginning to show light signs of clotting, and even stranger, the surrounding skin was only a faint red, with only the slightest shadow of bruising.

"What on earth made these…?"

Appearing suddenly at his shoulder, Rush peered at the marks interestedly, ignoring the small start his arrival caused.

"Those look nasty… You're the med student, what do you think made them? Seen anything like them before?"

Studying the wounds, the young man was at a loss. They looked faintly similar to an animal bite, the edges of the punctures slightly ragged, but he could think of no animal that left such distinctive imprints. No animal had four upper canines set two either side of the incisors, and there was no sign that the teeth of the lower jaw had left any mark, which with a creature large enough to leave these punctures was almost impossible.

"And you say she was dancing with you before she felt ill? You didn't see any bleeding, and she wasn't alone at any time before she passed out?"

Glancing sidelong at David, the vampire stayed silent for a moment, eyes flicking briefly to the faint pulse of tanned skin at the base of his throat, a quick movement, hand twitching slightly as though he wanted to reach out...

"I wasn't with her very long, but I didn't see any sign of that bite inside the club, and she didn't go to the ladies room or anything, she was with me the whole time."

Frowning in consternation, David looked at the wounds again, then froze as a faint chill ran down his spine. Going over Rush's words again, he was struck by the fact that he had described it as a _**bite**_, rather than punctures. David hadn't said anything to hint at what he thought it was, and to the untrained eye it looked nothing like a normal animal bite…

Scenting the young man's unease, the vampire's eyes glittered with private mirth, looking forward to actually sating his hunger tonight, rather than leaving still hungry.

Leaning even closer, his hair brushed David's ear and made him shiver, startled and thoroughly unnerved as a feeling of foreboding settled over him like a shroud. Breathing quietly onto the human's nape, the vampire put both hands onto the edge of the crate either side of the young man, restraining the urge to just eat him right there and then, his chest pressed firmly against the boy's back.

"Have you figured out what bit her yet, or do I need to give you some more clues? Tell me what you think."

Speaking in a soft, velvety purr, the vampire could feel the boy's body, tense but frozen with indecision. A deeply buried human instinct whispered extreme caution, some fragmented form of ancient genetic memory bringing up vague thoughts of monsters hiding in the dark, prowling shapes that would eat you if you were not careful, and the young man chose to heed it, stopping himself from lashing out in fear or anger.

Mouth suddenly dry, David swallowed roughly, all too aware of the other body moulding itself to his back. Hands clenching into fists he answered cautiously, careful to keep his voice level and calm, despite the knot of dread sitting heavily in his gut.

"If I had to guess I'd say you were responsible for it, given those hints. I'm not sure how you did it, though you probably inflicted it somewhere else and took her here to dump her. It would have been far too messy to spill her blood here, you would probably have been caught if you did. Wounds like that would have bled copiously, and her heart seems to be having trouble pumping with so little blood, any less and she'd be lucky not to be in haemorrhagic shock. I don't know why you didn't kill her if you went to the trouble of spilling her blood like that, but I interrupted you before you could hide her and leave, so you… saw an opportunity?"

Sensing more than seeing the other's amusement, David stiffened when Rush snickered quietly, then abruptly stopped. Dead silence enveloped the alley, only the drumbeat of David's own heart loud in his ears and the soft breaths of the figure behind him breaking the quiet before a soft silky whisper made his heart leap into his throat.

"Oh dear, you didn't get full marks there. I'll give you a gold star for effort though, you sounded quite the little sleuth. Been reading the Hardy Boys lately, or are you too old for that?"

Staying pressed against the young man's back, Rush tilted his head, inhaling the scent of the healthy adolescent human he held, surprised to find relatively little fear, and all of it buried under anxiety and a nice dose of anger.

"Hmm, you're not scared… much. That's a nice change. Well, you're not scared for your _own _safety… but you are frightened about something… your cousins continued wellbeing perhaps?"

Without looking in their direction Rush knew that the teens were well out of it, as he could hear from the pattern of their breathing that they wouldn't be waking up anytime soon.

"You leave them alone!"

In a surprise move David threw his head back, aiming to smash the vampire's face, which would have worked quite well on a human opponent, but failed utterly as Rush merely leaned back just enough to avoid it, eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Nice move! Too bad it didn't work though, got anything else to throw at me?"

Spinning, David snapped out a punch that landed squarely on the other's solar plexus, pushing him back and sending a look of surprise skittering across his face. Not letting up, David lashed out with a vicious snap kick that connected solidly with Rush's chest, sending him falling back with a startled oath.

Sinking into a defensive stance David silently thanked his mother's insistence that he learn to protect himself, and wishing that he hadn't given up those lessons when she passed away.

Shifting sideways to get between his cousins and this dangerous madman, David couldn't stop a shudder when 'Rush' (though heaven knows if that was his real name) got to his feet and began to laugh. Quietly at first, but it soon grew in volume until the other was clutching at his sides while he laughed uproariously.

The creepiest thing was that it sounded real, like he was genuinely enjoying himself. Slowly the laughter trailed off and the young man straightened, eyes still alight with excitement and mirth.

"Oh, I haven't met someone like you in years! Compassionate to strangers, more concerned with others safety than your own, intelligent _and_ you know how to fight. That's a rare combination in any era. Hmm, I wonder, are you the self sacrificing type too?"

In a movement too swift to react to, the vampire leapt at him, then at the last moment slide around him to crouch beside the three slumped teens, grinning at the look of fear and rage that blossomed on David's face when he reached out to flick at a lock of hanging hair.

Struggling to keep his voice below a shout, David desperately tried to keep a lid on the powerful emotions that threatened to boil over at that light, almost playful action.

"Get away from them! Whatever sick game you're playing leave them out of it. What do you want anyway?"

Straightening slowly, Rush folded his arms, leaning back on one leg as though he were perfectly relaxed.

"Playing? I'm not playing, though this is the most fun I've had in some time, and you can relax, you're cousins are far too young to be interesting to me. Though as for what I want… Hmm… well, to start with I wanted the girl back because I wasn't quite finished with her, but now..."

In an abrupt subject change, Rush inclined his head towards the unconscious girl.

"D'you want to know how I made those marks? It's not something you'll learn in university, that's for sure, and as a student of the medical sciences, I think you'll find it quite fascinating."

Thrown by the sudden question, David hesitated, then agreed, willing to try anything to stall for time until an opportunity to escape arose.

"Alright, tell me."

Eyes lidded with secret pleasure, the vampire started to prowl around the boy, forcing him to turn to keep Rush in sight.

"That's not quite how it works, tell me what you think of the bite, suppose it was an animal that did it, how do you think it made them?"

Wondering what on earth this clearly insane young man was getting at, David struggled to describe what he thought about the marks, the other's almost predatory circling making him increasingly nervous now that his cousins seemed to be out of danger for the moment.

"If, if it was an animal that made the… bite then it's totally different to any animal I've ever heard about. There's only marks of penetration through the skin from… presumably… the upper set of teeth. The way the teeth seem to be arranged also look strange. There are… two double punctures that look almost like they were caused by a creature with four upper canines, though that's impossible. The marks… punctures… are also very neat, made by something too sharp to cause enough pressure for significant bruising…"

Nodding absently at the fairly accurate descriptions, Rush stopped his circling, letting his hands hang loose and ready at his sides, deciding he'd had enough teasing and was ready to give a… _practical_ demonstration…

"Nice eye for detail, you're good to see that much in this light. So good, that I think I'll skip the lengthy guessing game and just show you what _**creature**_ bit her. I think you'll find it quite enlightening…"

In a sudden, fast movement the vampire lunged across the space between them, grasped David's shoulders and shoved him brutally against the alley wall, exerting enough pressure to keep him firmly pinned.

Snagging David's wrists he held them above the boy's head in one hand, ignoring the vicious kick to his shin like it was nothing, and easily subduing the frantic squirming of the young human. Leaning forward Rush stopped with their noses barely an inch apart, his unoccupied hand resting over David's heart, feeling the frantic tattoo of beats.

"Ah ah, don't struggle, it'll hurt more if you do that. You said you wanted to know, but since I'm going to show you, you'll have to go through what she did, though I get the impression you won't be up for a little kissing beforehand, unlike the girl was."

Heart beating in his breast like a panicked bird, David could only stare in horror and disbelief as Rush's eyes transformed, glowing a bright tawny gold while he flashed a wicked smile that showed inhumanely sharp teeth, four gleaming fangs perfectly matching his previous description.

Before he could give voice to the rising terror, the other's head darted forward and he felt warm lips against his neck, a split second before something sank deeply into his throat.

For a moment, the bite was strangely painless, just an uncomfortable pressure, but then the pain came roaring up his nerves, incredibly acute. He would have screamed, but all that issued from his mouth was a choked whimper. He tried to free his arms, but the hand around his wrists was like a band of steel, and all he managed to do was get a deep warning growl from the impossible creature feeding on his neck, the sound vibrating through his flesh like a rumble of thunder.

Just out of the corner of his eye he could see the (vampire, though he didn't want to name it so) monster's throat working as it swallowed, and feel the spreading weakness in his limbs. Knowing there was little chance of him surviving this, he could only look helplessly across at his oblivious cousins and hope it left them alone once it was finished with him.

Knees starting to go weak he felt the hand over his heart shift down and a strong arm wrap around his waist to give him support. Unable to do anything but sag against the powerful body of his attacker, he started to notice that the pain was lessening, and wondered if that meant he was nearing death.

But that couldn't be possible, he was still quite aware of his surroundings, his vision only beginning to blur at the edges. The pain was still disappearing however, and in it's place was the first creeping edges of… pleasure?

As soon as he acknowledged it, the feeling grew, pulsing through his veins like a wildfire, flowing through his body in waves. Unable to resist it he felt like he was drowning, all thoughts of escape dissolving under the onslaught, skin prickling as it became hypersensitive to even the smallest touch. The roughness of the brick wall at his back and the strength of the vampire supporting him made him moan at the building sensations, breath coming in ragged gasps.

The arm around his waist shifted at the sound and the edge of his jumper was pushed up just enough to let a hand slip beneath. Electric tingles spread across his back as the hand caressed his skin, kneading the tense muscles as the warm palm splayed across his shoulder blades.

Lost in the sensation, he pressed against the vampire's body, unable to do anything else but wanting to feel every inch, an almost frantic need making him desperate to touch.

Feeling the fangs ease out of his throat after what seemed like an age made him sigh, partly with relief and partly with disappointment, and the swipe of a tongue cleaning the skin conjured another mindless moan.

Barely able to remember why he'd been afraid in the first place, David twisted his head and caught the vampire in a fierce open mouthed kiss, drawing a sound of surprise from Rush while David tasted his own coppery blood on the other's lips. Tongue flicking out he traced the edges of those deadly fangs, each gently curving length giving him an impossible thrill, more blood filling his mouth as he caught a razor sharp tip with his tongue.

Drawing a moan from the vampire this time, the hand at his wrists vanished only to reappear buried in his hair, the kiss taking on a life of it's own as every drop of blood spilled was sucked away with enthusiasm, making David wonder hazily if the vampire would really eat him this time, not sure if he'd even care if it did.

David's own hands dropped to Rush's shoulders, feeling the sleek muscles moving under the leather like velvet wrapped steel, and clenched in the thick material as the hand cradling his head started playing with the short hair at the back of his neck, tingles spreading down his spine.

Breaking the kiss to take a desperately needed gulp of air, David tilted his head back unthinkingly, and Rush took this as an invitation to attack his throat again, though not biting this time, just kisses with a hint of sharpness to them, points scraped teasingly over skin.

Pleasure beginning to ebb slightly, David finally realised just what he was doing, fighting through the hazy fog that clouded his mind to regain control of his wayward reactions.

Unclenching his hands from Rush's jacket, he placed his hands flat on the vampire's chest, intending to push him away, when smouldering golden eyes looked up and locked with his, freezing the motion halfway.

Very aware of the now much warmer hand resting on his back, David opened his mouth to speak, but the words caught in his throat as the vampire withdrew of his own accord, only to dart forward to catch the woozy young man again when his legs gave out beneath him. Holding him up easily, Rush quirked a brow at David's apparent loss of words.

"Careful there, you're gonna be woozy for quite while after that, though you won't need a hospital visit or anything."

Grinning smugly, the vampire reached up and wiped a smear of blood off the corner of David's mouth, not minding in the slightest as the young man flinched when Rush licked it off his thumb, looking like the cat who got the cream _and_ the canary.

"Still speechless? I'd be too if I were in your shoes. Though how you've gone this long untouched is anyone's guess, because you taste divine. Don't worry about there being a round two though, I take anymore and you would be in real trouble, and neither of us wants that, especially when you're such a good kisser."

Feeling more than a little overwhelmed, and with black spots starting to appear in his vision, David burst out with the one question that he _needed_ an answer to, fearful for his cousins safety if he were out of it, struggling to stay conscious long enough to hear the reply.

"Why haven't you killed me, you were going to kill the girl, so why not me?"

With a strangely understanding smile (fangless this time) the vampire leaned in close and whispered the answer just before David blacked out.

ooooooooooooooooooooo

When he came around he found he was warm and comfortable, lying on something soft. Limbs heavy with a strange languor, he was almost tempted to go back to sleep, early afternoon sunlight warming his face nicely, but then he jerked awake as he remembered what happened earlier.

Sitting up sharply it turned out, was a bad idea, and the room spud wildly around him while his neck throbbed warningly. Lifting a hand to his bite he didn't feel torn skin, but the soft padding of a gauze bandage.

Looking around David saw he was lying on his bed, still in the same clothes he'd gone out in but minus his shoes. Shocked by the sudden change of scenery, it took a minute to realise his jacket was hanging on the back of his door, and when he did his mind jumped straight to the girl, and then to his cousins… His cousins!

Moving as quickly as he could without falling flat on his face, David checked all the rooms on the upper floors of the veritable mansion of his father's home, only to sag in relief as he found them all in their own rooms, still dressed and fast asleep. Checking their necks showed no sign of bites, and David relaxed considerably, extremely thankful that his father and cousin's family wouldn't be back from their trip until tomorrow.

Stumbling back to his own room, David sat down heavily on the bed, legs trembling with weakness, and spotted a folded note pinned to the headboard. Opening it, he read:

"Hey sleepyhead, this is some house you've got, almost makes me jealous. Your cousins are safe in their beds, I didn't touch them, honest. The girl's fine too if you were wondering, she's at Howerton hospital if you want to check. See, I _was_ telling the truth in the alley. I won't bore you with a reminder to eat well; you probably know exactly how to treat blood loss victims so… Oh, and be thankful your wallet had your address in it or you'd be waking up in a motel right now. Your house keys are on the hall table downstairs, and thanks for the snack last night, it was **delicious**.

Be seeing you, R"

Staring at the note, David rubbed lightly at the bandage on his neck, and shivered at the implications of the last line, not quite sure what to feel. Thinking back to the alley, he replayed the vampires answer in his mind, wondering...

"_The only thing I planned on doing with that girl was leaving her where an ambulance could pick her up. I'm no killer, even if I do like the buzz I get from scaring people witless sometimes. The police take murder seriously, and it attracts too much unwanted attention, whereas people babbling about vampires are just considered crazy. I'd rather be safe and a bit hungry, than sated and hunted any night, so don't worry. Besides that, I think I've grown to like you, and not just because of your blood…_"

Despite a large part of him balking at the idea of seeing the vampire a second time, a small part of him didn't really mind the thought of meeting Rush again, the same part that didn't mind those blood soaked kisses, and even though he suppressed that part with a shudder, he didn't get rid of it completely, fingers still rubbing lightly over the bandage as he went to have a long soak in the bath.

Little did he know that that first encounter would be one of many, and the beginning of an irresistible fascination…


End file.
